Method of and apparatus for dehydrating gas



No. 620,773. Patented Mar. 7, |899.

C. .E. HEllUEldBUI'wG.' METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FR DEHYDRATING'GAS.

(Application filed Aug. 15, 1893.)

3 Sheets-Sheat l.

(No Model.)

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No. 620,773. Patented Mar. 7, |899. C. E. HEUUEMBUURG. METHOD UF ANDAPPARATUS FOB DEHYDRATING GAS.

(Application led Aug. 15, 1893.)

3 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 620,773. Patented Mar. 7, |899. C. E. HEGUEMBURG.

METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR DEHYDRATING GAS.

(Application led Aug. 15, 1893.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE. u

CHARLES E. IIEQUEMBGURG, OF DUNKIRK, NEW YORK.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FCR DEHYDRATING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,773, dated March'7, 1899. Application led August15,1893. Serial No. 483,176. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. HEQUEM- BOURG, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Dunkirk, in the county of Chautauqua and State ofNew York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pipe-Line Systems, of which the following is a specification.

In the transmission of natural gas through pipe-lines to distant pointsit has been observed that the delivery of the gas by thesame plantdecreases in cold weather. This has been attributed by many to areduction in pressure at the Wells themselves. I have found out,however, that it is not due to this cause, but to a reduction in thecapacity of the pipe-line produced by the condensation and freezingWithin the pipe of the watery vapor carried by the gas and the moreeasily condensed constituents of the gas itself. This vapor is eithercondensed into a liquid and frozen in the pipe in a solid form orcollects as a hear-frost within the pipe at the most exposed points. Themechanical separators which are ordinarily used at the gas-Wellsthemselves, While removing a large amount of Water which is carriedalong by the flowof the gas, do not remove the vapors referred to,which, notwithstanding such separators, remain in the gas in such largequantities that when condensed they will form for each one million feetof gas a quantity of liquid amounting in most cases to several gallons.The ditliculties arising from the condensation and freezing of thesevapors in the pipe become of great moment Where the gas is transportedto considerable distances, because the longer the pipe-line the greateris the expense of providing for an eXtra capacity in the line itself andthe greater is the difliculty of removing the accumulation from the pipeby any of the ordinary eXpedients. By my present invention I do awaywith this difficulty by drying or dehydrating the gas before it entersthe pipe-line. For this purpose I may employ either a refrigeratingmethod Wherein the gas is passed over artificially-cooled surfaces whichcondense the watery vapors and the easily-condensed constituents of thegas itself or an absorption method wherein the gas is passed over orthrough anhydrous substances which absorb these same vapors.

In either case the process is carried to that extent that substantiallyall the vapor is removed from the gas which would be condensed by thelowest temperature to which the gas would be subjected in transmissionthrough the pipe-line, and in the case of the refrigerating method thismeans' that the gas shall be subjected to at least as lowa temperatureas it will reach at the most exposed points of the pipe-line.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure l is adiagrammatic view illustrating the principle of the apparatus employed.Fig. 2 is a top view of a series of the vapor-removing tanks. section online 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of one of the tanksemployed in the refrigerating process. Fig. 5 isa vertical section of amodified form of the refrigerating-tank, and Fig. 6 is a verticalsection of 011e of the tanks employed in the absorption process.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, A represents the drying apparatus,having inlet and outlet pipes ab. The inlet-pipe ais connected with theheld-lines running to the gas-Wells. The outlet-pipe b is connected withthe inlet of the pump or compressor B, the 'outlet of which is connectedwith the pipe-line C. A by-pass D is shown, by means of which andsuitable valves the gas may be passed around the pump or compressorwhere the natural pressure of the Wells is sufficiently high. The dryingapparatus will be arranged in sections, so that any part of it can bethrown out of use for cleaning.

By the preferred form of apparatus I employ four drying-.tanks 1, 2, 3,and 4, which have their inlet-pipes a. connected independently with thesupply-pipe E from the fieldlines and having their outlet-pipes bconnected independently with the discharge-pipe F. In Fig. 3 the pipes Eand F are shown as continuous with an intermediate shut-o valve, thepurpose of which is to permit the gas to flow by the drying apparatus,if required. The four tanks are also connected together by pipes c, d,c, and f. Pipe c connects the outlet of tank l with the inlet of tank 2.Pipe d connects the outlet of tank 2 with the inlet of tank 3. Pipe econnects the outlet of tank 3 with the inlet-pipe of tank 4,

Fig. 3 is a vert-ical- IOG Fig. 5.

and pipe f connects the outlet of tank 4 with the inlet-pipe of tank 1.Suitable valves are provided,as shown. By this arrangement the gas frompipe E can be passed simultaneously or successively through all thetanks or through any desired number less than all.

I prefer to make each tank with a capacity to take the full flow of thegas and to pass the gas in series through three tanks at a time, leavingone tank always out of operation.

For the refrigeratin g process the tank shown in Fig. 4 or that of Fig.5 is employed, having within it a considerable length of piping Gr,arranged in a suitable manner and provided also with division-plates Hfor causing the gas to circulate back and forth around the coils ofpipes, as shown in Fig. 4, although these division-plates may beomitted, as shown in Through the piping G is circulated in any suitablemanner chilled brine or eX- panded ammonia or other suitable vapor orgas, as is well understood in connection with refrigerating apparatus.The vapors in the natural gas are condensed by the cooling-surfaces andadhere to such surfaces as a hoarfrost. Vhen required, any one of thetanks can be put out of service and steam admitted into the gas-spacethrough the pipe 7L for melting the accumulations upon thecooling-surfaces, the liquid being drawn off through the cock z'.

A tank suitable for the apparatus when the absorption process isemployed is shown in vertical section in Fig. G. This is an open tankwith a perforated bottom upon which rests the filling of lime, chloridof calcium, or other anhydrous material, through which the gas is causedto circulate in passing from the inlet to the outlet of the tank. Thetank is also provided with suitable manholes k for removing the materialand refilling.

While my invention is especially designed for the transmission ofnatural gas through pipe-lines, it is also applicable to manufacturedgas or to air where either is transmitted to a distance through apipe-line.

What I claim as my invention isl. In the art of transporting natural gasthrough a pipe-line, and the prevention of the condensation and freezingof vapor in the pipe-line, the improvement which consists in passing thegas before it enters the pipe-line into contact withrefrigerating-surfaces, maintained at a temperature sufficiently low tocondense and freeze the vapors thereon, then in subjecting such surfacesto a suiciently high temperature to melt the frozen condensed vapors,and iinally in removing the water produced by the melting of such frozenvapors, substantially as described.

2. In the art of transporting natural gas through a pipe-line and theprevention of the condensation and freezing of vapor in the pipe-line,the improvement which consists in passing the gas before it enters thepipe-line in contact with refrigerating-surfaces maintained at atemperature sufficiently low to condense and freeze the vapors thereon,then in cutting off the supply of gas to such refrigerating-surfaces,and finally in subjecting such surfaces to a sufficiently hightemperature tol melt the frozen condensed vapors, substantially asdescribed.

3. An improved dehydrating apparatus for freezing the vapors containedin natural gas,

comprising a receptacle through which the gas is passed, means withinsaid receptacle for maintaining a temperature therein .below `thecongealed mass, and an exit-pipe for the liquid, opening near the bottomof the receptacle to effect the removal of the liquid from thereceptacle, substantially as described.

5. In a pipe-line system, the combination with the supply-pipe and thepipe-line, of a series of intermediate drying or dehydrating apparatus,pipes connecting each apparatus with the supply-pipe, pipes connectingeach apparatus with the pipe-line, and pipes connecting adjacentapparatus with each other,

whereby the gas in passing from the supplypipe to the pipe-line may bedirected through any one or more of said drying or dehydratingapparatus, substantially as described.

This specication signed and witnessed this 5th day of August, 1893.

CHARLES E. IIEQUEMBOURG. Witnesses:

IVALTER C. SMITH, WALTER D. I-Ionr.

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